At our Ottawa LN AGM on Wednesday the 24th of May, 2017 we celebrated 50 years of service by Colin Billowes. Colin's name is the first on our plaque of Presidents since 1967 which in Colin's honour is now named the Colin Billowes Presidents Plaque. Colin has been an active member on the committee in all of his terms. Those who know him will tell you that he always comes up with good suggestions, will work to make them happen and can ask the really awkward but always relevant question when needed! Colin also works with our younger members, offering support and mentorship and when they help him when computers dont work, he gives thm real credit but he also wants to know what went wrong. On the 50th anniversary AGM, Colin gave the meeting a good and humerous description of a his work in Tanzania in restoring telecommunications. Looking at Colin's career is also very enlightening. He worked at Canada's CRC and holds the eminent position of contributing "Billowes Rant" in their retired members newsletter. Great fun to read! Those of us who know Colin also know that the rant is a great description of the narrative he can put together. Likewise in the Ottawa LN, Colin has been our newsletter editor over the last few years. We are transitioning to a BLOG based assembly of materials for our future electronic newsletters and hopefully once we have the system populated with good material we will once again see the annual newsletter (which when looked at in conjunction with older newsletters provide a great history of the work of the IET Ottawa LN).



Colin enjoying the moment!




Colin rendering his engaging presentation in his thoughtful and inimital fashion. Enjoyed by all and merited a warm acclamation by all in attendance.




We had a good AGM and are all set for 2017-18. We all recognise that there is pressure to set time limits on holding office in committees but Colin is the committee member that makes me ask the question as to whether it is length of term that should matter or should not contribution, engagement and showing up ready to work be also factors in tenure on committee?